Kenshin or Himura Kenshin was based on one of the four great assassins of the revolutionary period of Japan named Kawakami Gensai. Kenshin is considered one of the "greats" for manga lovers and it's easy to see why. With a solid balance of comedy and violence, Kenshin provides a look at cultural Japan just as guns were being introduced as a weapon in Japan. I would consider this manga storyline to be well written but it does follow a basic formula of manga. Introduction, Story, Side Story, Story, Side Story. Commonly known as "filler", these side stories are simple stories that would be published to gauge readership in manga magazines such as Shonen Jump. I enjoyed what I could make of the storyline and the artistry, but I felt there was a lot of "filler" for the first and second volumes. The last volume ended way too abruptly and I was unsure of what was a side story and what was crucial to the plot. The violence in this manga is sometimes unnecessary and I found myself skipping over some panels because I felt they were unneeded. Overall, great work but I don't think I will be reading any more Kenshin. ( )